Split Pea Soup and Mustard-Chile Sizzle

There are vibrant, bright, colorful foods…and then there’s split pea soup. She might not be postcard-worthy, but she’s a keeper. (If you make this with orange split peas instead of green, it will be less khaki-colored.) This version includes a fragrant spiced oil on top—it’s an example of an Indian technique called tarka (aka tadka; see this page).

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

From the Market Ham hock Split peas Beer Spin It 4 ounces slab bacon can sub for ham hock; cut into 1-inch pieces In place of beer, use 12 ounces dry cider, or omit beer and use 11 cups water in the next step At Home Garlic Celery Carrot Red onion Olive oil Salt and pepper Fennel seeds Ground turmeric Ground cumin Mustard seeds Red pepper flakes Spin It Replace celery with ¼ fennel bulb Try smoked paprika instead of turmeric Replace ground cumin with ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly crushed

Step 2

Roughly chop garlic, celery, carrot, and onion, then transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed. Heat ⅓ cup oil in a large Dutch oven over medium. Add the chopped vegetables, stir to coat, and season with salt and black pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the soffritto has cooked down to coarse paste, the individual vegetables are completely tender, and the surface of the pot is starting to brown, 14 to 16 minutes. Lightly crush the fennel seeds and add them to pot, then add turmeric and cumin and stir to combine. Cook until the spices are bloomed, 1 minute.

Step 3

Meanwhile, use shears to make 2 vertical cuts through the skin on opposite sides of the ham hock, which will help the fat render. Add to the soffritto and cook, turning hock occasionally, until some fat is released, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lentils; stir to coat. Pour in beer and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, 4 minutes. Add 10 cups water and return to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and simmer gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the peas have more or less disintegrated and meat shreds when you pull at it with tongs, 1½ to 2 hours.

Step 4

Transfer ham hock to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, remove the thick band of skin and fat, then pull meaty parts off the bone; very finely dice fat and cartilage and add to soup, if desired, (freeze the bone for making stock). Cut meat into bite-size pieces and return it to the soup. Taste and adjust the seasonings; keep hot.

Step 5

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium. Add the mustard seeds and cook, swirling pan frequently, until some of them begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in red pepper flakes. Serve soup with a spoonful of the mustard–red pepper sizzle on top.